Improvement in ploughs



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IMPROVEMENT In PLoUens.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CON CERN:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN T. SKINNER, of Jacksonville, Randolph county, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Prairie-Breaking Plough and lOultivator; and I do declare that the following is a'full and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

To enable others skilled inthe art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and opration.

Figure I represents a perspective view of my' plough and cultivato'r.

Figure II is a bisectional representation ofthe plough and cultivator.

Figure III represents my triple Whittie-tree, which is used when the machine is used as a breaking-plough .with three horses.

Figure IV is perspective View of a section with cultivator-bladcs hung for use.

Figure V i's a top view of my machine, showing the working of 'my-crank-axles and compound regulatingshaft, and my triple and double whitiie-trees, all combined.

I manufacture my' machine as follows: I malte a heavy wooden frame, as Ashown in Figs. I, II, land VI, of which A A are lthe sides, B B are the forward cross-beams, and G the rear cross-beam, which is made quite broad, and upon it is fastened the drivers seat D. Eis the pole, which is bolted in the centre by bolts e e when I use it as a cultivator, or as a light plough, as shown in Fig. I, and it is bolted in the holes fj', near the left side, when used as a breaking-up plough, and when three horses are used, .as represented in Fig. V. Over the front cross-beams, I put an upright frame, F, to which is hooked a swinging bar, G, to cach end of which is attacheda wide, dat chain, H H, which passes down and under rollers gg, fastened to the under side of the frame, and terminating with large hooks, to which I attach my triple whille-tree I I when I use the machine for A breaking up with three horses, as shown in Fig. V, and to which I also attach my single Whittle-trees 4when I use it as a cultivator-or top-plough with two horses, as shown in Fig. I. The wheels are attached to my crankraxles J J, which pass up through heavy iron plates d d, which are bolted to the'sides of the frame A A, resting on shoulders .under the' said plates, then up through the middle beam of the upright frame W,

then horizontally between the middle and top beams of frame W to my compound regulating-shaft X, into the revolving sockets jj, which hold them in place and position. To the regulating-shaft X is attached the springlever K, passing under the semicircle c, between two pins, and resting upon the full circle L, in the centre of which, in front of the'driver, is a slot or catch, in which the lever rests when in the centre, and the wheels are running parallel with the machine.

By means of the spring-lever K the driver can guide the machine, and veer it to the right or left by moving the lever to the right or left, as shown in Fig. V, or, by leaving it in the catch, move directly ahead. The soclietsjj, revolving, move up and down on the crank-axles as ythe regulating-shaft is turned by the driver.

The frame W, which is solely forthe crank-axles, is held in place and supported by two strong braces b b, bolted td'the top bar a and the sides A A. Beneath the frame are the ploughs. O O are the' beams, P P the ploughshares, which are attached by bolts m m, and held, in place by iron ties 'n n. To the forward ends ofthe beams are'attached hooks, to which are hooked chains, lll Z, which also hooli'into eye-bolts L t 7L t in the under side of cross-beam B. 'The width of the furrow is gauge'd by hooking the chains dal dei to the right or left, at pleasf. ure. Pendent to the rear end of the machine is an iron swinging bar, R, upon which rests the rear end of ploughbeams when in use, and which gauges the lowest depth of furrow. There is also a double iron crank-shaft, M, resti-ng upon the rearend of frame, with handle or lever N, which is used to lift the. ploughs from thc ground when not in use, and while passing-to and from the field, by moving the lever back and fastening it beneath the catch s at the right side of drivers seat. It also is used to regulate the depth of furrow of light plough, and of cultivator, and may be held in place by graduated catch-bar on side of drivers seat. To the double cranka shaft M are suspended two slings, Y Y, by means of chains pp pp, in which slings the plough-beams lare held,

,and by which they are raised. I construct my ploughshares by bolting the blade to the arm, as represented in Figs. II and IV. Q Q are the blades, made of cast iron or steel; q q g g, the bolts; thus they are easily removed when worn out, and new ones substituted. IMy cultivators blades are constructed in the same manner A.as is shown -in Fig. IV.

In Fig. III, I exhibit my triple whifiie-tree, as it may be used in Fig. V. I I are two heavy spreads, to be attached to the Het chains II II, and are also united bythe triple link x, to which also the single whilctree 2 is attached. The single-trees 1 and 3 are attached to the extreme ends of the spreads` by means of coldshut'links, und may be attached or detached at any time, and used when the machine is used as a cultivator, as shown in Fig. V. In my spreads'I I, I put -the eye-bolts which hook to the flat chains near the outer ends, so that I equalize the force and purchase, so that each of the three horses receives equal force, as is clearly shown in Fig. III.

Having thus fully described my prairie-breaking plough and cultivator, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. My forward upright frame F, with swing-bar G and ,fiat chains H H,`for the use and purpose as specified and herein set forth.

2. The attaching of my pole to the centre, or ueztrthe left side of my machine, for the use and purpose as specified and herein set forth.

3. My triple WhifHe-tree, with the triple link rt', as represented in'Fig. III, for the use and purpose :1s specified and herein set forth.

4. My cranleaxles, as made, attached, and operated on my machine, for the use and purpose as specified and herein set forth.

5. My compound regulating-shaft vX, with the revolving socketsjj, spring-lever K, and circle L, for the use and purposes as specified and herein fully set forth.

6. I claim the eoi'nbination of my crank-axles, compound regulatingshaft X, and spring-lever, for the use and purpose as specified and herein set forth.

T. My double crank-shaft M, with lever N und slings Y Y, for the use and purpose as specified and herein set forth.

STEPHEN T. SKINNER.

Witnesses: w

R. O. SKINNER, JAMES H. HALLinUnToN. 

